CHAPTER THREE
EDWARD'S POV
I finished the boring interview and decided to head downstairs to straighten my leg. I couldn't get my mind past the beautiful poor girl I met.
Her face was of the purest of beauty. Her natural pink lips devoid of gloss were as tempting as... I quickly cut myself off; I wasn't one to fall in love easily not after the trauma I had faced.
Though I enjoyed the sight of her retreating behind when I commanded her in and out of my office at will I felt a pang of guilt at having treated her like trash.
Her beauty was so outstanding that her poor and faded clothes hardly went unnoticed by me, though I had made a false comment about her dress.
I did what I did because I felt a certain kind of pride as I watched her cower. It gave me some domineering power over her.
I was still replaying the scenarios in my office as I came to the ground floor and saw her scurrying towards the stairway with her head bowed.
She did have a knack for scurrying; she could almost pass for a hungry rat. I quickly put myself in her way, thus making her bump into me.
"Hey poor, watch where you're going, or do you have eyes behind?" I said with a satisfying smirk, as her soft boobs brushed against my chest making me giddy.
"I'm sorry sir," she apologized meekly.
"What are you always sorry for? If you keep saying sorry this much, sorry will be added to your already established nickname "old poor hag," I said, desperate for a falling tear, which I saw and the tears indeed broke my heart into tiny little pieces that I almost apologized to her.
I was ready to apologize but couldn't, for all the employee's eyes were on me and I wasn't ready to throw my pride in the gutter.
"Get out of my sight! You and that balloon beside you," I commanded and walked away.
I didn't want to feel guilty for this piece of gutter girl. Why was I even developing a soft spot for her? Who was she anyway?
My stomach rumbled, signifying how hungry my worms were.
The hunger could serve as a valid reason for my sudden annoying interest in the new girl.
Sometimes, hunger made people feel they needed love when in reality, they craved food.
ROXANNE'S POV
"Why is he so rude to you?" Mara asked.
I sighed as we began climbing the staircase "I don't know, maybe it has something to do with my dress or something,"
"But why's everyone so rude?" She asked again, as if I had the mind-reading psychic powers
"We both have no answers to that question because we are both fucking new," I replied harshly.
Answering questions and climbing staircases were both tiring jobs themselves, mixing them both could be very traumatic.
"Aren't we there already? I've been climbing for a century now. Can't we just do everything tomorrow when we begin our work here in the company?" I asked, breaking my no-question rule
She made a soft giggle, and replied "We can't go back now, we're almost there"
"We better be before I die from exhaustion," I said wearily.
At Sir Nathan's Mansion
EDWARD'S POV
"You are old enough to start a family, what are you still waiting for?" My Dad asked as we sat together in the sitting room.
"Dad, I'm just twenty-seven, how could I possibly get married? And besides I haven't found..."
"Oh come off it! Your twenty-five-year-old cousin will soon be married," he cut off my speech.
I wished we could leave the marriage discussion and concentrate on discussing company matters.
"You're becoming like mom. Please don't pressure me into marriage again. Last time I tried, everything ended tragically," I raised my voice a bit at him, but the soft therapeutic couch stopped me from increasing the key.
He stood up from his chair and started pacing the room, which got me wondering. What was it he wanted to voice out? "Father, is everything all right?" I asked as my chest pounded heavily.
"Your mom doesn't have much time left," he said
"Much time left for what? But the chemotherapy was so successful." I said fearing the incoming sentence from my dad.
I took my eyes to the picture frame on the wall where a photo of my mom and I hung.
She had on an elegant yellow gown which complemented her long black hair.
She had always treasured her hair and her beauty and was now as devastated about her failing health as she did her lost beauty.
"Mom isn't going to die. The doctors must do something. There must be some drug or something. Please don't let her die. I can't lose someone I love again," I cried out hysterically
"I am not a doctor, neither am I a seer. All I know is that the doctors said your mom has not much time left. We have no idea when she's going to pass on," he said with tears in his eyes. He sobbed a little, before cleaning his eyes and walking out.
She was just 54 years old but she looked a century old after Cancer entered into her life.
*********************************************************
DERA'S POV
"I could still remember the look on her face as I reminded her of her orphanhood state," I laughed triumphantly as I spoke with Selena, the typist.
"And the fear on her face when she collided with Sir Edward" she added, giving out a short laugh as she made a continuous click on her desktop
"She thinks her beauty and intelligence matters in this company. I've been here as a receptionist for four years and I haven't yet been promoted," I said angrily.
Angry at the fact that an orphan could afford to be beautiful and intelligent and even dare consider applying for such a sacred position
"I've told you to at least pursue a Secretarial course in a university or a college, it'll put you on the limelight," she advised, still focusing on her typing work.
She was putting on a cherry red gown that I had chosen for her to wear. I made sure she didn't outshine me in any way.
She had to check with me for approval before wearing any dress, jewelry or shoes.
I on the other hand was satisfyingly wearing a baby-pink, off-shoulder, knee-length gown that gave me a queenly look.
"Oh, that? I'll apply this year and till then, the secretary position better remains vacant," I replied determinedly.
She finally looked up and smiled before saying, "No one will, you're the most experienced. Why do they need an outsider?"
Then she hit her hands on the desk, ready for gossip. " I noticed Sandra Mich with Sir Edward in the shopping mall across the street. They looked like they were..."
"And how do we deal with such defaulters who dare lay a hand on Sir Edward? Should we go ask some in the cemetery?" I responded with a rhetorical, cutting Selena shut and setting sail to my claim.
She smirked, "How do you propose to carry out this grand plan?" The question was a foolish one, for she, better than anyone else knew how dangerous I could be.
"We'd just watch her for this week through and know her going in and out. Next time you see them together, bring photo evidence," I said without mincing words.
"Do you think the new girl is a threat too?" She inquired, giving the finishing touches to her work
I scoffed and replied "Well, if she tries anything funny, I'll send her back to the brothel, to go live with her prostitute mom," I said before realizing to my horror that I had spilled too much.
"Prostitute? Do you by chance know her mother?" She questioned, obviously interested in the full story.
"Uhm... I just supposed her mom will be a prostitute, you know she's a rejected child," i defended not wanting to blow my cover. Thankfully, Tarella walked in and all questions got diverted
Selena turned her probing question to Tarella
"How are you doing? Is the plan going well?" She asked, standing from her swivel chair and making her way to the customers' bench opposite her desk
"So far, its going well, you have no cause for worry," Tarella replied as she took her bag from Selena's desk and headed for the door
"Good! Keep us informed," I replied, grinning like a kid.
"I will. Goodbye," she said as she shook her waist to the sound of the fan